It has long been recognized that some means of simulating aircraft flight in a device remaining on the ground may have many benefits in the training of pilots and other flight crewmembers. One of the primary difficulties in constructing such a grounded flight simulator is providing sufficient realism to produce a worthwhile flight training experience for those personnel using such a device, while at the same time keeping the initial and operating costs sufficiently low so as to provide a more economical training means than that of using an actual aircraft.
Grounded flight simulator devices are well known to those involved in the art. Initially simulators were produced using actual aircraft instruments. As these instruments are generally vacuum or electrically powered mechanical devices, such a simulator requires a very complex pneumatic and mechanical system in order to operate properly. Many, if not most, such simulators require more man-hours of time for maintenance and repair than the time they are actually engaged in flight training, even for the simplest simulator for a generic single engine airplane. As the cost of such specialized technical equipment has increased over the years, in some cases actual flight in the aircraft is more economical than flight simulator time.
As technology has advanced, digital electronics have generally replaced many of the older mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic systems previously used. Such newer simulators simulators are far more versatile and realistic than those using older systems, but are nevertheless comparatively costly due to the small number in use, the generally complex systems simulated, and the requirement that a complete enclosure be built to most realistically simulate the aircraft cockpit. If motion is desired in order to add even more realism to the training experience, additional cost is incurred. Meanwhile, the actual aircraft may be temporarily inoperative due to maintenance, scheduling, or other reasons, but cannot be used as its systems are only operative and responsive in the actual flight environment. The present invention provides a means of simulating inflight instrument and/or other responses while using an actual aircraft not in flight in order to provide a realistic training atmosphere while gaining maximum economy by precluding the need for a separate simulated aircraft structure and controls.